Saratoga Cracks Down on DWI

BALLSTON SPA, NY — The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, and the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office announced enhanced efforts to address an increase in driving while intoxicated and drug impaired driving arrests in Saratoga County while also urging drivers not to get behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking or using drugs. 

 The team is employing a mix of additional roving patrols, check points, and a full-time dedicated DWI/impaired driver patrol with members who are specially trained in field sobriety testing and breath analysis. 

“As we head into the Fourth of July holiday, we want to make it clear that being safe on the road is not just a holiday issue,” Saratoga County Sheriff Michael A. Zurlo said, “This is a year-round, 24/7 issue not only for drivers, but also for our deputies. If you are drunk or driving impaired in Saratoga County, at any time, on any day, and on any road, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will be held accountable.”

From January to June 2025, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office alone saw an 18% increase in DWI and impaired driver arrests, and they made 26% more traffic stops than during the same period last year. The cumulative average blood alcohol content for the DWI arrests made during this period was 0.15%, almost twice the legal limit, according to data from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. 

The Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office saw almost double the amount of DWI and impaired driving-related cases charged in this same period, and a troublingly significant uptick in the amount of both daytime offenses and the number of repeat offenders.

Saratoga County officials ask residents and visitors to help keep our community safe following a few simple tips:

• Plan ahead: If you’ll be drinking or consuming drugs, arrange a safe way home before you begin; don’t drive. Choose to use a rideshare service or choose a designated driver. Remember: A designated driver is someone who has had no drinks and no drugs, not a few.

• If you see a drunk or impaired driver, promptly call 911. You could save someone’s life.

• Friends don’t let friends drive drunk or impaired. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride with someone who is intoxicated by alcohol or impaired by drugs, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going.

 “The increase in DWI and impaired driving arrests in Saratoga County is concerning and we’ve made it a priority to address this dangerous trend through strict enforcement of DWI and impaired driving laws,” Saratoga County Undersheriff Jeff Brown said, “You may think you ‘feel fine and are ok to drive,’ but the truth is your judgment, vision, and ability to think and react to driving situations decreases with every drink or drug you have. If you’re thinking of making the wrong decision to get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking or drugging, remember Saratoga County Sheriff’s Deputies are always on the roads and will apprehend any intoxicated and impaired driver to keep our roadways safe for all who travel them.”